St Mirren manager Stephen Robinson told his players to milk the celebrations after their penalty shoot-out triumph over Kilmarnock sparked a pitch invasion from the travelling fans at Rugby Park.
Saints sealed a 5-3 shoot-out victory after an entertaining 2-2 Premier Sports Cup quarter-final draw and dozens of the Buddies fans spilled out of a packed away stand.
Shamal George saved from former Saints midfielder Kyle Magennis before Malik Dijksteel netted the clinching penalty to seal St Mirren’s first trip to Hampden since 2021.
Robinson, whose team led twice through impressive strikes from Mikael Mandron and Jayden Richardson, said: “We had a couple of really good chances to win the game before penalties but, if someone told you you’d win after penalties, you’d take it. It’s just not the easiest thing on your heart sometimes.
“But it’s a brilliant way to win and fantastic that the boys got to celebrate with the fans at the end.
“You have to enjoy these moments. The boys are all great boys, they don’t want to be too much in the spotlight but I told them to get out and enjoy it, milk every last minute of it, because they earned it, They stuck together when the game swung in different directions.
“I wanted (the fans) to get off so we could get over and celebrate with them, the stewards were stopping us.
“But it’s hard when you have that much passion for the football club. It’s people’s lives.
“We are only here for a short period of time and it’s about trying to give hope and a pride in the town and the football club. I believe this group of players have brought that back again.”
Killie manager Stuart Kettlewell could not ask any more from his players.
“I probably couldn’t find two more painful scenarios than the ones we have had in the last five days, said Kettlewell, whose team levelled late in each half of normal time through a Robbie Deas header and Bruce Anderson’s penalty.
“Concede a last-minute penalty to lose the game against Celtic and then lose a penalty shoot-out.
“You genuinely can’t find two more sore ways to lose a game of football.
“I feel heart sorry for the players. I can’t fault them. There was going to be someone who was sore at the end of this game, once you watched 120 minutes of that.
“If St Mirren had lost it, they’d have felt the same way because both teams poured everything into it. They really did.
“I thought it was a proper cup tie. I thought it was entertaining, I thought it had quality, I thought it had a lot of fight.
“What else can I ask my players? They’ve gave us everything.”
